October 16, 2014

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Yes, today’s World Food Day – a day of action to go against hunger. Did you know that there are 803 million hungry people in the world? When it comes to hunger, we believe that the only acceptable number is zero. This year’s theme is: Family Farming: Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth. So raise your glass today and thank the family farmers that grow our food, and take care of our land for future generations.

Speaking about food, we’re all about eating healthy in MATTER HQ. Salad Tuesdays FTW. Yesterday marked the first day of our #livewideawake giveaway competition conceived in collaboration with local healthy food chain SaladStop! – we’re giving away 5 pairs of #pantstoseetheworldin and a month of free salads for one special winner too! We really feel strongly for businesses with similar values. Find our how to join and win on our Instagram or Facebook pages, or SaladStop!’s.

Like the clothes that we wear, knowing the origins of what we eat and choosing accordingly can make a big impact. Do you know where your food comes from? A quick trip to our local supermarket (and some wiki research) brought up these origins:

1. Baby Carrot - France

With wild ancestors likely originating in Iran and Afghanistan, its name derives from the Indo-European root ‘ker’, meaning horn for its horn-like shape.

2. Pomegranate - Egypt

Ancient Egyptians regarded this fruit as a symbol of prosperity and ambition and it was written about in the Ebers Papyrus in 1500 BC, one of the world’s oldest medical writings.

3. Kale - Malaysia

A superfood and close cousin of the wild cabbage, it is used in regional cuisine of the Netherlands, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, southeastern Africa, northwestern Germany, Denmark, and southwestern Sweden.

4. Cucumber - Singapore

Originating in India, this vegetable is 90% water and the fourth most cultivated veggie in the world.

5. Mini Oyster Mushroom - Korea

It was first cultivated in Germany as a subsistence measure during WWI. The Latin name means ‘sideways’, referring to the way it grows on trees in the wild. Fun fact: North Korea has just invented a sports drink made of mushroom fungus.

6. Momotaro tomato - Japan

Named after the hero “Peach Boy’ in Japanese folklore, who came down to Earth from Heaven in a giant Peach.

7. Apple - New Zealand Fuji

A hybrid developed in Japan in the late 1930s, named after Fujisaki town where it was developed and not Mount Fuji.

8. Avocado - USA

Native to Mexico and botanically a large berry, the oldest evidence of avocado use dates to 10,000BC. Known as butter fruit in parts of India, Alligator Pear in eastern China, and Cheese Pear in Taiwan.

9. Asparagus - Peru

Peru is the second largest asparagus exporter in the world after China; considered an aphrodisiac, it derives from the persian word ‘Asparag’ meaning shoot and cultivated in ancient Rome.